A protective structure at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, built to contain radioactive materials after the 1986 accident, is no longer fully capable of performing its primary safety function.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported this on Friday, noting that the damage was caused by a drone strike in February, according to Suspilne.
IAEA officials said that during an inspection last week, experts examined the steel arch — the New Safe Confinement, completed in 2019. They confirmed that the February drone strike, during the third year of the full-scale war, caused degradation of the structure.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated that the mission recorded the structure’s loss of key safety functions, including its ability to contain radioactive materials. At the same time, the load-bearing elements and monitoring systems have not sustained permanent damage. According to him, some repair work has already been carried out, but a full restoration is needed to prevent further degradation and ensure long-term nuclear safety.
In February, Ukrainian authorities reported that a drone carrying a powerful explosive hit Chernobyl: it caused a fire hotspot and damaged the protective covering around Reactor 4, destroyed in 1986. Kyiv blamed Russia for the attack, but Moscow denied involvement.
The IAEA notes that radiation levels remain normal, and no leaks have been detected.
What is known about the Russian drone attack on Chernobyl NPP
On the night of February 14, a Russian strike drone carrying a high-explosive warhead hit the shelter at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. According to the State Emergency Service (DSNS), radiation levels at the site were normal in the morning.
Ukraine called on the IAEA to intensify efforts to prevent Russian attacks on nuclear facilities following the strike on the shelter of Reactor 4 at Chernobyl NPP.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that the Russian drone that hit the Chernobyl sarcophagus was flying at an altitude of 85 meters. At this height, radars cannot detect drones.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied Russia’s involvement in the attack on Chernobyl NPP.
